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HBO Rings In Its '08 Fight Plan
Hopes to Build on Strong Year With Jones-Trinidad Tilt
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 10/22/2007
The bell has yet to ring on Home Box Office's 2007 pay-per-view boxing schedule, but the network has already set its first pay-per-view event of the new year: a Jan. 19 bout between boxing legends Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad.
HBO executives hope the Jones-Trinidad fight will continue the momentum generated from what it expects to be a blockbuster fourth quarter and an overall network record-breaking 2007 year, in terms of pay-per-view boxing revenue and buys.
The fight between Jones, the former middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, and Trinidad, the ex-welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight champion, will retail at a suggested price of $49.95. Both veterans have retired in the past, only to return the ring.
HBO senior vice president of sports operations Mark Taffet expects fans of both fighters will open their wallets to see the two fighters in the ring again.
“Tito Trinidad and Roy Jones are two superstars and future hall of famers who've participated in some of the biggest and most memorable fights of our generation,” he said. “It's a classic matchup that boxing fans have been talking about for years, and we know it will be a big event in the PPV industry.”
The fight will give HBO major PPV fight cards in four consecutive months dating back to the Oct. 6 Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera bout. Taffet would not reveal specific buy-rate and revenue figures for the fight — in which Pacquiao sent Barerra into retirement with a unanimous-decision win — but said the network was “extremely pleased” with its performance.
Next to climb into the PPV ring: a Nov. 10 welterweight title fight between Miguel Cotto and “Sugar” Shane Mosley and a Dec. 8 welterweight title fight between champion Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton.
Taffet believes that the revenue and buy results for both of those events should easily make 2007 the most lucrative and successful year for the network within the category. HBO has already drawn 3.6 million PPV boxing buys and $193.2 million in revenue, just short of the 1999 record of 4 million buys and $200 million in revenue. Much of that take was from the record-setting May 5 Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather, which drew 2.15 million buys and $120 million in revenue.
“Provided everything remains in place, we will easily surpass our record,” he said.
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Yes boxing fans, our sport is alive and well. Lets Just hope these last few fights dont dissapoint.
Hopes to Build on Strong Year With Jones-Trinidad Tilt
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 10/22/2007
The bell has yet to ring on Home Box Office's 2007 pay-per-view boxing schedule, but the network has already set its first pay-per-view event of the new year: a Jan. 19 bout between boxing legends Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad.
HBO executives hope the Jones-Trinidad fight will continue the momentum generated from what it expects to be a blockbuster fourth quarter and an overall network record-breaking 2007 year, in terms of pay-per-view boxing revenue and buys.
The fight between Jones, the former middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, and Trinidad, the ex-welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight champion, will retail at a suggested price of $49.95. Both veterans have retired in the past, only to return the ring.
HBO senior vice president of sports operations Mark Taffet expects fans of both fighters will open their wallets to see the two fighters in the ring again.
“Tito Trinidad and Roy Jones are two superstars and future hall of famers who've participated in some of the biggest and most memorable fights of our generation,” he said. “It's a classic matchup that boxing fans have been talking about for years, and we know it will be a big event in the PPV industry.”
The fight will give HBO major PPV fight cards in four consecutive months dating back to the Oct. 6 Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera bout. Taffet would not reveal specific buy-rate and revenue figures for the fight — in which Pacquiao sent Barerra into retirement with a unanimous-decision win — but said the network was “extremely pleased” with its performance.
Next to climb into the PPV ring: a Nov. 10 welterweight title fight between Miguel Cotto and “Sugar” Shane Mosley and a Dec. 8 welterweight title fight between champion Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton.
Taffet believes that the revenue and buy results for both of those events should easily make 2007 the most lucrative and successful year for the network within the category. HBO has already drawn 3.6 million PPV boxing buys and $193.2 million in revenue, just short of the 1999 record of 4 million buys and $200 million in revenue. Much of that take was from the record-setting May 5 Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather, which drew 2.15 million buys and $120 million in revenue.
“Provided everything remains in place, we will easily surpass our record,” he said.
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Yes boxing fans, our sport is alive and well. Lets Just hope these last few fights dont dissapoint.
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